Obedience

32. OBEDIENCE TO THE HOLY PROPHET

(SALLALLHU ALAIHI WASSALLAM)

The Sahaba were obedient to the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) to the core of their hearts. They never missed a chance to carry out his smallest instructions.

Once, Sayyidah Zaynab was dying her clothes when the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) entered the house, but immediately turned back and went out. Though Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) had not uttered a single word, yet Sayyidah Zaynab could read his mood on his face and immediately washed off the dye from her clothes.

On one ocassion, the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) saw a companion wrapped in a dyed shawl and asked him: “What is this?” The companion immediately made out that the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) did not like his shawl. He returned home and put the shawl into the fire. 1

1 Abu Da’ood

2 Bukhari

3 Abu Da’ood

The Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) ordered the Sahaba to boycott Sayyiduna Ka’b Bin Maalik due to his non-participation in the battle of Tabuk, and directed him to keep away from his wife, he asked: “Should I divorce her?” The Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam)’s messenger told him: “No, but keep away from her.” He immediately sent his wife to her parents. 2

Sayyiduna Khurim Asadi, a companion of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) used to wear a long wrapper around his waste and sported long hair. Once, the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Khurim Asadi is a good man provided he does not wear long loin cloth around his waste and trims his hair”. Sayyiduna Khurim Asadi sent for scissors and cut his wrapper and hair. 3 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

Once, the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) directed Sayyiduna Rabia Aslami to marry a woman from a particular tribe of the Ansaar. Sayyiduna Rabia was a very poor man. He went to the tribe as directed by the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) and told them: “The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) has sent me here to marry a woman of your tribe.” The members of the tribe welcomed him and said: “The messenger of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) cannot go with the Prophet’s wish unfulfilled.” They gave the hand of the woman in marriage to Sayyiduna Rabia. 4

4 Musnad Ibne-Hambal, Vol. 4, P. 58

5 Abu Da’ood

6 Abu Da’ood

The lady companions of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) used to join the congregational prayers during the lifetime of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam). With a view to avoid intermingling of men and women, the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Let’s reserve a gate exclusively for the women”. Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Omar kept the words of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) so religiously that till his death he never used that gate to enter the mosque. 5

The Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) had directed the Sahaba: “If anyone of you goes to a place, he should not lead them in prayer, but should perform his Salaah under the leadership of a man of that community”. On one ocassion, Sayyiduna Maalik Bin Huwairath went to a place where people asked him to lead the prayers but he refused referring to the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam)’s saying. 6

Once, Sayyiduna Abu Sa’eed Khudri was performing the prayer when a Quraish youth passed in front of him. He pushed him aside. Again he tried to pass in front of him and he again pushed him aside. He repeated it in the third time. After completion of the prayer, Abu Sa’eed Khudri said: “Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) has said although nothing can break the Salaah yet if something really 3 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

hinders the concentration; get rid of it as far as possible as it is the Satan who hinders.” 7

7 Abu Da’ood

8 Abu Da’ood

9 Abu Da’ood

10 Abu Da’ood, Kitaabul Jihad

On one ocassion, the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Whoever leaves a single hair unwashed during the bath of purification will face this and this torment in the Hell.” Sayyiduna Ali says: “From that day onward I made my head my enemy (i.e., he constantly shaved off his hair).” 8

The Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) directed the Sahaba not to mourn their deceased, except the husband, for more than three days. The lady companions obeyed this directive very sincerely. When the brother of Sayyidah Zaynab Bint Jahsh died, she applied perfume on the fourth day and said: “I had no need of applying the perfume but I have heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) saying from his pulpit that no Muslim woman should mourn her deceased relatives, except her husband, for more than three days. I applied the perfume in obedience to the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam).”

When the father of Sayyidah Umm-e-Habibah died, she applied perfume on her cheeks after three days of father’s death and said: “I was not in need of the perfume, but I applied it just to obey the directive of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam).” 9

Whenever the Sahaba camped temporarily at any place during their journey for Jihad, they erected their tents in a scattered way. The Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Erecting the tents in a disunited way is devil’s work.” The Sahaba kept up the words of the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) with such a dedication that whenever they camped over a place, they settled so united that a single sheet could cover them all. 10